Wednesday, February 29, 2012

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) â" Microsoft on Wednesday let consumers start trying out its upcoming touch-based Windows 8 operating system, which aims to power a new wave of computer tablets and traditional PCs designed to counter Apple's big gains in the market through its Macs and iPads.

The test "beta" version of the revamped system was introduced at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the planet's largest cell phone trade show, and borrows some of the look of Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 software for Windows 8.

Windows 8 doesn't have the traditional "Start" menu, and applications are spread across a mosaic of tiles in a design Microsoft calls "Metro" â" seen as an attempt by the company as a scramble to preserve its market share. And executives said it powers up on PCs in eight seconds, much faster than the previous version.

The tiles, which resemble road signs, can be navigated with a finger swipe on the screen or with a keyboard and mouse. But those testing out the new operating system won't be able to try out the finger swiping unless they already have systems enabled for touch use, and the system isn't expected to make its official debut until September or October.

Microsoft executives in Barcelona showed off how users can use their fingertips to swipe in and out of applications, and tilt upright computer screens to a flat position so they can be used as two-person gaming boards or big drawing tablets. A slim laptop had a hinge allowing it to be turned inside out so it could be used as a tablet instead.

Microsoft is also opening an Internet "Windows Store" where users can download applications for the operating system, but only if they have Windows 8. Applications are free for those testing out the beta version, but would include both free and paid versions after the operating system is released.

The test version was downloaded by people from more than 70 countries as Microsoft gave its presentation about Windows 8, but the company didn't immediately disclose the number of downloads. The software can be downloaded at http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/consumer-preview.

Apple is also moving features from its iPhone and iPad software over to its Mac software. That trend will be particularly visible in Mountain Lion, the new Mac operating system that's expected to be released this summer.

Windows 8 will also be the first Microsoft software in a long time besides its cell phone software that will run on non-Intel style processors. The company is developing a version that will run on phone-style chips, such as those used in the iPad.

If Windows 8 is a hit, it could help struggling PC makers, including Hewlett-Packard Co. and Dell Inc. Besides giving businesses and consumers a reason to consider new PC purchases, Windows 8 is expected to spawn a new breed of hybrid machines that will be part tablet computer and part laptop like the device that Sinofsky demonstrated.

If Windows 8 is a flop, however, it will increase the pressure on Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. His 12-year reign has been marred by the company's troubles adapting to an Internet-driven upheaval. As Microsoft has stumbled, faster-innovating companies such as Apple and Google have elbowed their way into a position to steer the direction of computing for the next decade or two.

Microsoft's financial performance traditionally improves when it releases a new version of Windows. The last upgrade came in October 2009 when Windows 7 hit the market. The company has sold more than 525 million copies of Windows 7 since then. Part of Window 7's success stemmed from pent-up demand; the previous version, Vista, was so clunky and buggy that many PC users stuck with the system they already had on their machines or switched to Apple's technology on Mac computers.

Microsoft shares dipped 13 cents to close at $31.74 Wednesday after the new operating system was introduced. The stock has been hovering around its highest levels since April 2008.

Windows 8 is radically different from its predecessors, with its tiles that provide a glimpse at the activity occurring in applications connected to the Web, such as email.

The system also is expected to enable users to easily back up their pictures, movies, music and other files on a Microsoft storage service called SkyDrive, which will compete against Apple's iCloud.

Julie Larson-Green, head of "Windows Experience" and responsible for delivering a new operating system that wows the world's PC users, showed how documents and data can be stored in one device only to appear instantaneously in another.

"It will populate with everything you are used to using right away," she said.

The operating system's versatility means it can be used to power computer tablets, as well as traditional PCs.

Microsoft badly wants a piece of the tablet market that has been cutting into PC sales since Apple introduced the iPad two years ago.

In the quarter that included the holiday shopping season, Apple shipped 15.4 million iPads, more than doubling the volume from the same time a year earlier. Meanwhile, worldwide personal computer sales dipped slightly, and Microsoft's revenue in its Windows division declined 6 percent. It marked the fourth time in the past five quarters that Microsoft's Windows revenue has fallen from the previous year.

Reversing or slowing that trend is critical for Microsoft. It still relies on the PC industry for about 55 percent of its revenue, according to Nomura Equity Research analyst Rick Sherlund.

"The launch of Windows 8 should provide a few years of robust growth and opportunity for Microsoft to reposition itself to better defend its position against challengers," Sherlund wrote in a note after Microsoft reported the latest erosion in its Windows division.

Besides spurring more sales of the new operating system, Windows 8 is likely to drive demand for the next generation of the Office suite, another major moneymaker for Microsoft. In the demonstration in Barcelona, Office looked just like it normally does â" but can be opened with a finger swipe.

Windows 8 could inspire more PC makers to design machines that combine the convenience of tablets with the utility of a notebook computer. These devices would be similar to the so-called "ultrabook" computers that offer a Windows-based version of Apple's lightweight MacBook Air machines.

Once Windows 8 is available, the ultrabook line could be expanded to include machines equipped with a screen that swivels off the keyboard to take advantage of the system's touch controls and provide a tablet-like experience.

In the various interviews prospective employees, interviewing candidates who precisely has just graduated from college, they asked me much about what the profession's most promising future,

I then re-ask some questions. First, how do you predict when you will have to choose another telecommunications provider for your mobile phone? Second, or when you meet someone, can you predict correctly the person personally?

You do not need to learn to leading forecasters because it is not an arena for the forecasters at the fair. The events that occurred in the past decade provide a special vision to the world of business and government that they require a special skill to be able to predict an event as I can to avoid catastrophe.

You might ask, how? Is the information available at this time? Is this information enough?

Currently there is information everywhere, even in various forms of communication channels. However, the world is already filled with data and information. In Indonesia alone, the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) to collect various data including demographic data.

Some of you are probably very familiar with the site or twitter account @ lewatmana.com tmcpoldametro to predict the traffic or highway conditions you are going through in the morning or when returning from the place you work.

In short, human life-changing Internet era. You can connect with colleagues in other parts of the world and no doubt, the Internet bridges the distance and time. Indonesia with a population of 240 million people with about 50 million people currently connected to the Internet. Ministry of Communication and Information is committed even serious to develop rural areas of information in Papua with the aim of bridging the digital divide. Internet is also enabling the company to accommodate a variety of data overflow.

In the office where I work, the average person receives an email within one year 2053 have not been coupled with the influence of social media that is currently so strong, in one year at least 219 employees are involved in social media posts. Yet millions of the information collected will be wasted if no tangible business benefits for us.

For example, telecommunications companies usually have a variety of valuable information about their customers, including records of outgoing calls and incoming calls are made each customer. Telecommunications companies are also generally understood that it would be easier to retain existing customers than get new customers.

For that, they are very aggressive in creating a shared promotion for its customers. Investment in information technology had become essential to help transform information into valuable insights that telecommunications companies can predict if there are customers who intend to move to another vendor.

Business analytic solutions play a special role here because the background itself analytic science that uses various existing logic to gain additional insight into a process that is natural or manmade.

Own analytic experts to create an algorithm to learn the complex trading patterns from a dealer to determine whether he secretly wants to erase their tracks by massive fraud or not. Other algorithms help police evaluate crime patterns and predict where the next threat will emerge.

Some time in the future, these companies desperately need young people who master this analytical field. The question is, what skills are needed? Mathematics, foreign languages, the ability of prediction. However, job seekers who managed to not only those who are just good at theory. Businesses to apply mathematical knowledge so it can cope and provide various solutions, including expertise in specific industries such as retail, healthcare, financial services, or even eco-friendly energy.

Current analytical favorite subject is one which offered a variety of universities in the world. I believe in the not too long, colleges across the country are following this trend, along with the increasing market demand. Some industries in Indonesia such as telecommunications and banking see analytic solutions as one of the important solutions in developing their business.

I believe that successful innovation is a realization of a close collaboration between universities, businesses, and governments in developing curriculum. The students were given the opportunity to reap the real world of work experience during their study.

In conclusion, you do not need an algorithm to obtain the information that today's business competition is increasingly fierce. When young people ask me now, what profession promised in the future, I will advise them, have special skills with a real contribution to make the world smarter.

PARIS (AP) â" Interpol said that 25 suspected members of the loose-knit Anonymous hacker movement have been arrested in a sweep across Europe and South America.

The international police agency said in a statement Tuesday that the arrests in Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Spain were carried out by national law enforcement officers working under the support of Interpol's Latin American Working Group of Experts on Information Technology Crime.

The suspects, aged between 17 and 40, are suspected of planning coordinated cyberattacks against institutions including Colombia's defense ministry and presidential websites, Chile's Endesa electricity company and national library, as well as other targets.

The arrests followed an ongoing investigation begun in mid-February which also led to the seizure of 250 items of IT equipment and mobile phones in searches of 40 premises in 15 cities, Interpol said.

In Chile's capital, Subprefect Jamie Jara said at a news conference that authorities arrested five Chileans and a Colombian. Two of the Chileans are 17-year-old minors.

The case was being handled by prosecutor Marcos Mercado, who specializes in computer crime. He said the suspects were charged with altering websites, including that of Chile's National Library, and engaging in denial-of-service attacks on websites of the electricity companies Endesa and Hidroaysen. The charges carry a penalty of 541 days to five years in prison, he said.

Jara said the arrests resulted from a recently begun investigation and officials do not yet know if those arrested are tied to any "illicit group."

"For now, we have not established that they have had any special communications among themselves," he said.

Jara said authorities were continuing to investigate other avenues, but gave no details.

Gen. Carlos Mena, commander of Colombia's Judicial Police, said no one was arrested in Colombia, but he noted that some Colombians had been arrested elsewhere, including Chile. He said he hadn't confirmed a report that one of those arrested in Argentina may have been from Colombia.

Mena did hint that there might be arrests in Colombia. He said other nations have been providing information and Colombian authorities are looking into it, but so far haven't arrested any hackers.

"You have to leave them alone, so when we have all the evidence, and the prosecutor makes the decision, we will be all over it and capturing them," he said.

No official statements have been released yet in Argentina. An Argentine media website based its story on the Interpol statement, which it quotes as saying that 10 people were arrested in Argentina.

Earlier Tuesday, police in Spain announced the arrest of four suspected Anonymous hackers in connection with attacks on Spanish political party websites. These four were among the 25 announced by Interpol.

A National Police statement said two servers used by the group in Bulgaria and the Czech Republic have been blocked.

It said the four included the alleged manager of Anonymous' computer operations in Spain and Latin America, who was identified only by his initials and the aliases "Thunder" and "Pacotron."

The four are suspected of defacing websites, carrying out denial-of-service attacks and publishing data on police assigned to the royal palace and the premier's office online.

Interpol is headquartered in Lyon, France. The organization has no powers of arrest or investigation but it helps police forces around the world work together, facilitating intelligence sharing.

Anonymous, whose genesis can be traced back to a popular U.S. image messaging board, has become increasingly politicized amid a global clampdown on music piracy and the international controversy over the secret-spilling site WikiLeaks, with which many of its supporters identify.

Authorities in Europe, North America and elsewhere have made dozens of arrests, and Anonymous has increasingly attacked law enforcement, military and intelligence-linked targets in retaliation.

One of Anonymous' most spectacular coups: Secretly recording a conference call between U.S. and British cyber investigators tasked with bringing the group to justice.

Anonymous has no real membership structure. Hackers, activists, and supporters can claim allegiance to its freewheeling principles at their convenience, so it's unclear what impact the arrests will have.

Some Internet chatter appeared to point to a revenge attack on Interpol's website, but the police organization's home page appeared to operating as normal late Tuesday.

One Twitter account purportedly associated with Anonymous' Brazilian wing said the sweep would fail.

"Interpol, you can't take Anonymous," the message read. "It's an idea."

___

Associated Press writer Raphael Satter in London contributed to this report.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Barcelona, Spain (CNN) -- The smartphones and tablets debuting at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week share one very important ingredient that has allowed Apple's iPad and iPhone devices to become mainstream cash cows: videogames.
"Gaming is now a 'need to have' category, not a 'nice to have' category for mobile devices, whether they be tablets or phones," said PJ McNeally, videogame analyst at Digital World Research. "The days of a single-function mobile device are long gone."
Raj Talluri, vice president of product management at Qualcomm, said that with more than 60% of users regularly playing games on their mobile devices, games have clearly emerged as a core part of the mobile user experience.Â
"Gamers and games have also proven to drive technology adoption and are powerful influencers amongst consumers," Talluri said. "Whether it be for the purpose of competitive gaming or just passing the time on flights or train rides, high-quality mobile gaming is not a luxury. It's now a necessity for any mobile device."
At the conference, Qualcomm is promoting upcoming portable games like "The Ball," "Fight Game Heroes" and "The Reem," which run on its Snapdragon processors. Talluri said this "complete system-on-a-chip" technology was designed to handle everything from online multiplayer gaming like AllJoyn over Wi-Fi and 3G/4G-LTE networks to the most advanced, console-quality games. The powerful new processors are built for seamlessly switching between multiple apps and the Internet, all while delivering longer battery life.ÂMobile phone boasts built-in projector
Keita Iida, director of global content management at NVIDIA, said that while there will always be room for simple, casual games in mobile like "Angry Birds," things are evolving quickly thanks to new chip technology like NVIDIA's Tegra 3 quad core processors.HTC launches new phones
"With the installed base of Android and Tegra already at critical mass, developers looking to have their games stand out have the promise of financial reward to invest in high-end content, not to mention the hardware processing that can power next-generation games," Iida said. "Our heritage is in working with developers that are passionate about games with high production value."
One of the Tegra 3 games on display at Mobile World Congress is Sega's "Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2," which will be released in May. David Zemke, director of mobile business atÂ SegaÂ of America, said the new game brings a console-quality experience to portable devices.
"You can now play Sonic on a small screen or a big HD TV, screen and this technology allows us to bring a totally reimagined Sonic with beautiful HD backgrounds, great character animation and all the speed console gamers are used to with this character," he said. "Tegra represents a quantum leap in technology, allowing us to bring visual effects like god rays, light effects and realistic water effects to a portable device for the first time."
Intel Graphics Planner Matt Ployhar, who also serves as the president of the PC Gaming Alliance, has seen more gamers gravitate toward mobile devices. Intel has invested in the booming mobile sector with technology like its 1.66Ghz Intel Atom processor and Intel XMM 6260 Wireless platform with fast HSPA+.
"The role of video games is incredibly important for mobile and tablet devices," Ployhar said. "They're all experiencing and seeing an incredible amount of growth ... across the various form factors.Â Mobile platform choices are as varied as the smartphone to the PlayStation Vita to slates and iPads. Games tend to be the number one downloaded and used software application for these devices, according to sources like Nielsen, Forrester and Screen Digest."
Mobile graphics technology has come a long way in a short period of time, and it's continuing to evolve. Sony Computer Entertainment has sold 1.2 million PlayStation Vita portable gaming devices since launch last year, but those numbers could have been much higher without increased competition from smartphones and tablets.
"I think that the smartphone and tablet market is cannibalizing the dedicated handheld market, especially for non-core gamers," said Michael Pachter, videogame analyst for Wedbush Morgan Securities. "The casual games offered on smartphones and tablets are good enough for a large minority of people who play games, and the large number of free-to-play casual games on smartphones and tablets will keep most casual gamers occupied. I think that limits the attractiveness of dedicated handheld gaming devices and limits their market share."
Talluri believes that smartphones and tablets will emerge as all-in-one entertainment devices, encompassing the qualities of several gaming console experiences in a portable package.
Prices are already dropping for quad core tablets. Asus is shipping its Tegra 3 Eee Pad Transformer Prime for $250, which will offer games on par with the visuals of consoles. But Pachter believes it will be a while before the depth of console games, or even PS Vita games, migrate to smartphones and tablets.
Looking ahead, Plohar said, new mobile gaming technology that will further alter the way games are played on the go includes Siri-like voice interaction in gaming, more cross-platform cloud gaming experiences and smarter sharing and pairing between devices.Â
McNeally believes the roles of key tech companies like Google, Intel, NVIDIA and Qualcomm are more important than they were 10 years ago, when there were only game consoles and PCs for gaming.
"The number of viable platforms for consuming media such as games has exploded, and the tech infrastructure companies now need to be more agile, more responsive, and more diversified than any other point in their histories," McNeally said. "It's a fun time to be a tech company, albeit a bit frenzied and insane by all the new product cycles."
It's also a fun time to be a gamer, as there are more games available for more devices than ever before. And the quality of these experiences, especially in the portable space, appears to be getting better all the time.

This ancient flowering plant has been revived from the seeds are buried by squirrels more than 30,000 years ago. The seeds are found during excavations in fossil burrows in the ground squirrel in the Siberian Arctic.

As reported by the pages of The Sun, Tuesday (21/2), seeds of these plants due to near-death experience wrapped in a layer of ice, called 'gene frozen', "said the experts.

Laboratory experts of science and permafrost soil from Moscow, Russia, and then use the method which they called state-of-the-art, to foster Silene stenophylla. They include herbaceous plants that sprout and has small white flowers and is still growing in this region.

Seeds are preserved at a depth of 38.1 meters at a temperature below zero degrees celsius it has a shape slightly smaller than the like at the moment. Scientists say some form of sentient beings who have long lost can be stored in a single slab of ice. It also suggests that no active life exists on Mars or other planets ice might be revived

SHANGHAI (AP) â" Proview Electronics says it is now seeking to regain worldwide rights to the iPad name and is suing Apple Inc. for alleged fraud and unfair competition, hoping to have a 2009 sale of the trademark ruled void.

The Taiwan-based maker of LED lights said in a release late Monday that it had amended its lawsuit filed earlier this month in Santa Clara, California's Superior Court.

Apart from having the trademark sale voided, it also is seeking unspecified compensation, a share of Apple's profits from alleged "unfair competition" and an order for Apple to stop using the trademarks.

Apple had no immediate comment.

Proview insists it owns the rights to the iPad trademark in mainland China. A Shanghai court last week rejected its demand for an injunction preventing Apple from selling the iPad.

It also postponed hearing the case pending a decision by a court in southern China's Guangdong Province, where Proview's mainland Chinese factory is based. The Guangdong High Court is due to convene Wednesday for an appeal by Apple of a lower court judgment against the U.S. company's claim to the trademark.

It is unclear if Proview's latest legal maneuver is driven by the expectation of a favorable ruling by the Guangdong High Court or by its desire to push Apple for an out-of-court settlement â" an option Proview's lawyers have said would be possible.

Apple has given no sign it would be willing to settle. It contends Proview failed to transfer ownership of the mainland Chinese iPad trademark as agreed in the 2009 deal.

Ma Dongxiao, a lawyer who is representing Proview in China but is not involved in the U.S. case, said Tuesday the dispute in China centers only on ownership and infringement of the iPad trademark, not on the validity of the 2009 deal.

In its release, Proview said its amended complaint in the U.S. case is meant to provide details of Apple's alleged "fraudulent actions."

"Among the many allegations in the U.S complaint are fraud by intentional misrepresentation, fraud by concealment, fraudulent inducement, and unfair competition," Proview said.

If the 2009 deal is ruled void, iPad trademarks for the European Union, South Korea, Mexico, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam would revert back to Proview Taiwan, it said.

Proview, once a major computer monitor manufacturer, launched its own version of iPAD, or Internet Personal Access Device, in 2000 but it was not a market hit. Apple launched its popular iPad in 2010.

Proview contends Apple intentionally misled it when it bought iPad trademarks through a special purpose company called IP Application Development Ltd. that concealed it was acting on Apple's behalf.

Experts in the high-tech field say such tactics are common given the secrecy surrounding new product launches, especially Apple's.

But Proview says IP Application Development told it that it wanted the trademark because it was an abbreviation of its name.

"While some technology companies create special purpose vehicles in order to obtain trademarks, in this case the sole function of Apple's special purpose vehicle was intentional misrepresentation, and an effort to fraudulently induce Proview Taiwan into a sale of the IPAD trademarks," Cal Kenney, a spokesman for Proview, said in the release.

Monday, February 27, 2012

Barcelona, Spain (CNN) -- This is the fourth time I've covered Mobile World Congress and every year I arrive expecting to be unimpressed, thinking "surely, this year there's nothing new left to show" and every year I leave realizing the pace of change is just accelerating.
This year is no different: from smartphones with specs to rival advanced DLSR cameras to devices that are more powerful than a home PC in your pocket, Mobile World Congress has been impressive once more.
It's easy to talk about the headline devices, such as the Nokia 808 Pureview: a 41 megapixel camera stuffed into a phone. That's right: forty one megapixels in a phone -- imagine saying that just a couple of years ago.
The fact it's running Nokia's older Symbian OS isn't really relevant (although disappointing) because if you're that into the technology you'll be happy with whichever operating system you get -- but it seems similar camera phone tech will be stuffed into Windows Phone devices in the near future too anyway.HTC launches new phonesFord goes high-tech with new vehicles
Another key theme this year has been the battle of the quad core phones: Samsung was noticeable for its lack of press conference, as it's saving its headline device for a standalone event. This means the likes of HTC, LG and new boys Huawei have managed to steal some of the thunder from the top Korean manufacturer, all pushing the boundaries of smartphone speed seemingly beyond breaking point by packing four chipsets into one device.Read more: How mobiles of the future will get under our skin
But there are several more stories underneath that point the way to an interesting future for the phone in your pocket, beyond today's identikit black touchscreen slabs -- such as Samsung's new Galaxy Beam smartphone, which packs a projector into a device that's just over one centimeter thick.
It might seem pointless, but presentations on the go just became a reality for salespeople the world over, and it's a decent smarpthone to boot.
Then there's the idea of durability -- I've counted more than five companies all stating they're in talks with major manufacturers to not only make your phone shockproof, but make it water repellent as well. That means the days where dropping your phone in the toilet equals instant phone death will soon be over; the water will just roll off and your handset will keep on chugging (although you'll probably want to clean it first).
But to me, the most exciting thing is the way contactless technology is becoming reality: Near field communication has been around for a while in our handsets, but this year we're going to see it finally come to most new handsets and with it a whole host of new opportunities for users and networks alike.Read more: Jargon-busting mobile industry's buzzwords
You'll start seeing a lot more information around paying for items with your phone soon; a number of retail outlets are upgrading their pay points to accommodate payment simply by tapping your phone on a hotspot, and you'll be able to keep up to date with all your spending through a specific (and secure) app soon.
But it's beyond the cash that gets me excited: touching phones together to exchange business cards will soon be a regular occurrence, or connecting to Wi-Fi routers or Bluetooth speakers with a simple tap of the phone. A number of the top-end manufacturers have confirmed to me that this is the year they'll start integrating such tech in their devices, and that's something that users can really get involved with.
It's left me feeling like there's literally nowhere for mobile phones to go now -- but this time next year, when we're looking at phones capable of projecting 3D holograms with 16 chips and 100 megapixel cameras, I'm sure I'll change my mind!

Want to make good coffee usually require a barista. However, in Japan, there is a "barista machine" to make a latte or other coffee based drinks. Barista machine was in the service area Fujigawa in Shizuoka, Japan.

A variety of drinks are available for purchase including drip coffee, americano, mocha, caff latte, and cappuccino. In fact, Matcha au lait and hot chocolate are also available. After pressing the button directly on a video display. Then, the process of making coffee is also shown.

The first time, the video shows the current ground coffee beans. Then once turned into a coffee moved in the space labeled hot running water, and mixed with a cup of milk and ice. Once the coffee is finished, the camera angle changes to show the cup is closed. Finally, one cup coffee machines were moved out in the bottom of the screen with the words "Thank you for waiting!

Sense given to the coffee barista machine was purchased at almost the same as the world's leading coffee outlets. The price for a cup of coffee ranged from 150 to 200 yen, or about USD 16 thousand to $ 22 thousand. Vending machine services can be found in the area around Japan.Barista machine, Automatic Latte Maker
Want to make good coffee usually require a barista. However, in Japan, there is a "barista machine" to make a latte or other coffee based drinks. Barista machine was in the service area Fujigawa in Shizuoka, Japan.

A variety of drinks are available for purchase including drip coffee, americano, mocha, caff latte, and cappuccino. In fact, Matcha au lait and hot chocolate are also available. After pressing the button directly on a video display. Then, the process of making coffee is also shown.

The first time, the video shows the current ground coffee beans. Then once turned into a coffee moved in the space labeled hot running water, and mixed with a cup of milk and ice. Once the coffee is finished, the camera angle changes to show the cup is closed. Finally, one cup coffee machines were moved out in the bottom of the screen with the words "Thank you for waiting!

Sense given to the coffee barista machine was purchased at almost the same as the world's leading coffee outlets. The price for a cup of coffee ranged from 150 to 200 yen, or about USD 16 thousand to $ 22 thousand. Vending machine services can be found in the area around Japan.

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) â" Struggling cell phone maker Nokia Corp. has unveiled two new handsets that it hopes will revive its fortunes at the start of the world's largest mobile phone trade show on Monday.

Chief executive Stephen Elop told reporters at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona that the new phones â" a low-price euro189 ($254) smartphone that runs on Windows software and a handset with a high-resolution 41 megapixel camera â" demonstrates "the actions necessary to improve the fortunes of Nokia."

"With great products for consumers, I think the rest will fall into place," Elop said.

Analysts said the new smartphone could attract users because of its low price but investors sent Nokia shares down more than 5 percent to euro4.10 ($5.50) in afternoon trading in Helsinki, erasing a big boost it gained on Friday in anticipation of new announcements at the trade show.

Nokia has lost its once-dominant position in the global cell phone market, with handsets running on Google's Android software and iPhones enjoying booming popularity.

The Finnish company is attempting a comeback with smartphones using Microsoft's Windows software in what Elop has called a "war of ecosystems."

Malik Saadi, an analyst at the London-based Informa Telecoms & Media, said the introduction of Nokia's new Lumia 610 smartphone means the company is "now one step closer to bringing its (Windows Phone 7) to the entry level smartphone segment" and "clearly shows strong dedication" by Nokia to its Windows strategy and smartphones for the non-U.S market.

Nokia launched its new Windows Phone 7 in October, eight months after Elop announced a partnership with Microsoft Corp., in a major strategy shift for the firm. Nokia said it would gradually replace the old Symbian platform used in its smartphones with the Windows operating system.

Neil Mawston, a London-based analysts for Strategy Analytics, said Nokia's new camera phone is impressive â" but that markets were expecting more.

"Technologically it is 'wow' but they have integrated it into a Symbian phone which is viewed as, rightly or wrongly, yesterday's technology, whereas I think there was some expectation that it might be in a Windows phone which is tomorrow's technology," Mawston said.

The new phones were introduced less than three weeks after Nokia announced plans to stop assembling cell phones in Europe by the year-end as it shifts production to Asia and to cut another 4,000 jobs â" its latest attempts to cushion itself from stiff competition in the smartphone sector. The job cuts follow nearly 10,000 layoffs announced last year.

Once the bellwether of the industry, Nokia has lost its dominant position in the global mobile phone market, with Android phones and iPhones overtaking it in the growing smartphone segment. It's also been squeezed in the low-end by Asian manufacturers making cheaper phones, such as ZTE.

Nokia became the leading handset maker in 1998 and reached 40 per cent market share in 2008, but the company has gradually lost share since then â" falling to below 30 per cent last year.

Sunday, February 26, 2012

SIMI VALLEY, Calif. (AP) â" When AT&T started slowing down the data service for his iPhone, Matt Spaccarelli, an unemployed truck driver and student, took the country largest telecommunications company to small claims court. And won.

His award: $850.

Pro-tem Judge Russell Nadel found in favor of Spaccarelli in Ventura Superior Court in Simi Valley on Friday, saying it wasn't fair for the company to purposely slow down his iPhone, when it had sold him an "unlimited data" plan.

Spaccarelli could have many imitators. AT&T has some 17 million customers with "unlimited data" plans who can be subject to throttling. That nearly half of its smartphone users. AT&T forbids them from consolidating their claims into a class action or taking them to a jury trial. That leaves small claims actions and arbitration.

Late last year, AT&T started slowing down data service for the top 5 percent of its smartphone subscribers with "unlimited" plans. It had warned that it would start doing so, but many subscribers have been surprised by how little data use it takes for throttling to kick in â" often less than AT&T provides to those on limited or "tiered" plans.

Spaccarelli said his phone is being throttled after he used 1.5 gigabytes to 2 gigabytes of data within a new billing cycle. Meanwhile, AT&T provides 3 gigabytes of data to subscribers on a tiered plan that costs the same â" $30 per month.

When slowed down, the phone can still be used for calls and text messaging, but Web browsing is painfully slow, and video streaming doesn't work at all.

AT&T spokesman Marty Richter said the company will appeal the judge ruling.

"At the end of the day, our contract governs our relationship with our customers," he said.

AT&T area sales manager Peter Hartlove, who represented the company before Nadel, declined to comment on the ruling. He argued in court that his employer has the right to modify or cancel customers' contracts if their data usage adversely affects the network.

Companies with as many potentially aggrieved customers as AT&T usually brace themselves for a class-action lawsuit. But last year, the Supreme Court upheld a clause in the Dallas-based company subscriber contract that prohibits customers from taking their complaints to class actions or jury trials.

Arbitration and small-claims court cases are cheaper and faster than jury trials, but they force plaintiffs to appear in person and prepare their own statements. In a class-action suit, the work can be handled by one law firm on behalf of millions of people.

That means thousands â" and possibly hundreds of thousands â" of people who feel abused by AT&T policy could seek to challenge the company, one by one, in arbitration or small claims court. The customer contract specifies that those who win an award from the company in arbitration that is greater than the company pre-arbitration settlement offer will get at least $10,000. Spaccarelli picked the same amount for his claim, though AT&T stipulation about a minimum award doesn't apply in small claims.

Nadel looked instead at the remaining 10 months in Spaccarelli two-year contract with AT&T and estimated that he might pay $85 a month on average for using additional data. AT&T charges $10 for every extra gigabyte over 3 gigabytes.

Nadel said it not fair for AT&T to make a promise to Spaccarelli when he buys the phone while burying terms in his contract that give the company the right to cut down data speeds.

Spaccarelli, 39, researched his case for a few months, and then spent three days putting together a binder of documents to bring to court.

"I need the money, but for me, this case is not about money at all," Spaccarelli. "You don't tell somebody 'you have unlimited' and then cut them off."

Spaccarelli didn't quite uphold his side of the customer contract, and that one reason his data usage was high. He used the iPhone to provide a link to the Internet for his iPad tablet, a setup known as "tethering." AT&T doesn't allow tethering unless customers pay extra for it, which Spaccarelli didn't do. It detected his tethering last year, and switched him from the "unlimited" plan to a limited one. He complained, and got his "unlimited" plan reinstated.

Even with the tethering, Spaccarelli data usage wasn't excessive, he said â" about 5 gigabytes per month. AT&T Hartlove told Nadel about the tethering, and Spaccarelli admitted to it.

Earlier this month, a Southern California woman won a small-claims action against Honda over the gas mileage she got out of her Civic hybrid car. She was awarded $9,867. Meanwhile, a pending class action against Honda over the same issue would net Civic owners a few hundred dollars each. The plaintiff, Heather Peters, is an ex-lawyer who had opted out of the settlement.

AT&T throttling of "unlimited" data comes as it tries to deal with limited capacity on its wireless network. When the iPhone was new, AT&T had ample capacity on its network, and wanted to lure customers with the peace of mind offered by unlimited plans. Now, a majority of AT&T subscribers on contract-based plans have smartphones, and the proportion is growing every month. That putting a big load on AT&T network.

Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile USA also throttle users, but their policies are gentler. Verizon only throttles if the specific cell tower a "heavy user" subscriber phone is communicating with is congested at that moment. T-Mobile throttling levels are higher for the same price, and the levels are spelled out ahead of time. AT&T subscribers have no way of knowing if they'll be throttled before a warning message drops in. If they keep using their phones, throttling kicks in a few days later.

___

AP Technology Writer Peter Svensson reported from New York. He can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/petersvensson

Exhibition of animation and other art works are made using the latest technology opened in Tokyo on Wednesday (22/2). Japan Media Arts Festival will be held until March 4 next at the National Arts Centre, Tokyo.

Festival of the-15 has attracted over 2,700 participants from around the world, many of them are made using computer and telecommunications technology. And this festival will be very festive. The reason of the selection results will be displayed 150 works best animation from various countries.

As reported in NHK on Tuesday (21/2), one of the work entitled "particles" have been awarded in the category of the best art events. This image was made ​​with the ball and LED technology. With a circular shape along the 8 meter, this animated picture looks very stunning with light and illusion.

Meanwhile, another work called "Balloon SPACE PROJECT" has previously been selected as the best work in the entertainment category. This work shows a balloon is inserted a smartphone that is sent into space as far as 30,000 meters from the stratosphere. This balloon has broadcast images of the Earth and space via the Internet is very amaze the audience. Projects carried out in July 2011 and has been published and seen by around 380,000 people.

Saturday, February 25, 2012

(CNN) -- Mobile devices may have placed an amazing array of technology in the palms of our hands, but they've also given us a bamboozling array of buzzwords and acronyms.

To help avoid confusion as the cell phone industry meets for its annual Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, CNN has compiled a handy jargon buster.

Android: An operating system created for mobile devices by a consortium of tech firms led by Google. Different versions of Android are typically named after sugary treats, namely Gingerbread, Honeycomb and Ice Cream Sandwich.

AMOLED: Active-matrix organic light-emitting diode. This is the technology behind ultra-thin display screens used on many smartphones. These use on-off switching to consume less power than previous "passive matrix OLED" displays.

Cloud computing: The offloading of data storage or processing to the internet or a shared network. Cloud technology allows phones to outsource their functions, provided there's a good Wi-Fi connection.

4G: Fourth generation. A loose term covering the wireless network technology that will power the next generation of mobile phones. Already deployed in parts of Europe it promises data speeds of 300Mbps -- 20 times faster than existing 3G networks.

Haptics: Tactile feedback, in the form of tiny vibrations, that helps users interact with their touch screens.

Ice Cream Sandwich: Not as tasty as it sounds. This is the latest version of Android operating system.

iOS: A mobile operating system created by Apple to run devices including the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

Mbps: Megabits per second. The rate at which data flows to-and-from devices. The bigger the number, the faster the flow.

MVAS: Mobile value-added service (see VAS).

NFC: Near field communication: Technology that allows smartphones to communicate with other nearby devices. It allows simple data transfer between mobiles. It can also be used in contactless payment systems, allowing mobiles to behave like debit cards.

OLED: Display screen technology (see AMOLED).

Padphones: Is it a pad? Is it a phone? It's both! These tablet devices feature a phone docking station, allowing a phone's functions to be upgraded into a tablet environment.

Quad core: Refers to the phone's capacity for crunching data. The higher the number of processing cores, the faster the phone. The quadcores unveiled in Barcelona should, in theory, be the fastest to date, capable of simultaneously running several complex apps. This will, however, depend on whether they work well with phone operating systems.

SMS: Short message service -- or text messaging. The original and, some say, the best mobile phone app. This cheap, widely-available, stripped-down communication system refuses to die despite technology advances.

Stylus: Once thought extinct, the stylus seems to be making a comeback this year. This detachable pointer allows users to prod and write on their touch screens with greater accuracy -- until it gets left in the back of a taxi.

Symbian: Mobile phone operating system maintained by technology firm Accenture. Symbian was favored almost exclusively by Nokia, but Nokia is now switching to a mobile version of Microsoft's Windows 7.

3G: Third generation. The technology currently being used by many mobile systems. These support data transfer rates that allow users to surf the internet and watch videos.

VAS: Value-added service. Usually refers to any device function beyond its core purpose. Once upon a time, this meant any functionality above phone calls and text messages, but user-expectations are somewhat higher these days.

Arno XI Hydroplane, Super Fast Ship from Ferrari
The Italian automotive company known for its speed of his car, the Ferrari was also ships out super fast. Arno XI Hydroplane boats named. This vehicle was developed from 1952 by Achille Castoldi and Ferrari's Alberto Ascari.

Ship engines made ​​by companies that are built similar to the Enzo Ferrari engine in a Ferrari Type 375 race car. The vessel has an engine 12-cylinder 5.5-liter V12 Ferrari. In 1953, the boat was a new world record for the 800 kilogram class at Lake Iseo in Italy.

Today, the historic ship is ready to be auctioned in Monaco. Unfortunately, the sales price of the ship that managed to carve out a name that has not been announced

Friday, February 24, 2012

(CNN) -- On this week's Tech Check podcast, Doug Gross, John Sutter and Stephanie Goldberg discuss some pretty big advances in car technology that could be just a few years away from becoming a reality.

Consumer Reports has endorsed what's called vehicle-to-vehicle communication technology. The tech, which is being tested now, lets automobiles, in effect, talk to each other -- for safety and other reasons. There's also growing talk that cars that drive themselves could be closer than we think.

In other news we talk about a billboard in London that shows you a different ad based on your gender. It uses facial recognition to decide (supposedly with 90 percent accuracy) whether you're a man or woman and respond accordingly. We talk about what this might mean for the future of advertising.

Our Reader Comments of the Week come from our stories this week about internet privacy -- most notably concerns by lawmakers and state attorneys about Google's upcoming changes to its privacy policy. Google says it will be pulling all of your data from all its sites and tools into a single profile. Should you be concerned.

And our Tech Fail of the Week goes to some folks who we feel are taking Klout -- a pretty fun app to play with that attempts to measure your online influence -- a little too seriously.

To listen to Tech Check, click on the audio box to the left. To subscribe, you can add Tech Check to your RSS feed here. You can also download the podcast on iTunes or using mobile apps like Stitcher.

In the mean time, you can find us on Twitter at @cnntech or on the CNN Tech page on Facebook.

(CNN) -- On this week's Tech Check podcast, Doug Gross, John Sutter and Stephanie Goldberg discuss some pretty big advances in car technology that could be just a few years away from becoming a reality.

Consumer Reports has endorsed what's called vehicle-to-vehicle communication technology. The tech, which is being tested now, lets automobiles, in effect, talk to each other -- for safety and other reasons. There's also growing talk that cars that drive themselves could be closer than we think.

In other news we talk about a billboard in London that shows you a different ad based on your gender. It uses facial recognition to decide (supposedly with 90 percent accuracy) whether you're a man or woman and respond accordingly. We talk about what this might mean for the future of advertising.

Our Reader Comments of the Week come from our stories this week about internet privacy -- most notably concerns by lawmakers and state attorneys about Google's upcoming changes to its privacy policy. Google says it will be pulling all of your data from all its sites and tools into a single profile. Should you be concerned.

And our Tech Fail of the Week goes to some folks who we feel are taking Klout -- a pretty fun app to play with that attempts to measure your online influence -- a little too seriously.

To listen to Tech Check, click on the audio box to the left. To subscribe, you can add Tech Check to your RSS feed here. You can also download the podcast on iTunes or using mobile apps like Stitcher.

In the mean time, you can find us on Twitter at @cnntech or on the CNN Tech page on Facebook.

Moscow: Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko and Anton Shkaplerov take action to walk in space, outside the International Space Station (ISS). Russian federal space agency Roscosmos report, the action was carried out on Thursday (16/2), at 18:31 local time and lasted about six hours.

Similarly, as reported by the Xinhua website on Friday (17/2).

The cosmonauts are wearing costumes made ​​by the Russian Orlan space-MK, which uses a computerized system. Costume design will eliminate the mechanical arms cargo from the ISS docking module and the module is placed on scientific Poisk.

In addition, they also plan to make additional anti-meteorite shield on Zvezda module, and do some other work if time allows.

ISS crew currently consists of six members, including Anton Shkaplerov, and Oleg Kononenko Anatoli Ivanishin of Russia. While 3 others are Donald Pettit and Daniel Burbank of NASA, and Andre Kuipers of the European Space Agency

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Do fish also experience seasickness? A zoologist from Stutgart, Dr Reinhold Hilbig, examines the effect of weight reduction conditions in the water. The study was part of a study of how humans are affected in space.

In the study, forty-nine fish aquarium is placed in the mini and then sent through a plane that went into space. The plane lost simulate the conditions experienced by astronauts outside gravitational angakasa.

Apparently, eight of the fish began to spin with no clear orientation. They swim lingkiaran form. "They're completely out of balance, behaving like humans who experience seasickness," Hilbig said.

"The fish were lost orientas, they are completely confused and looked as if about to vomit," he added. In the wild fish 'seasick' like it could fall prey to other fish because they were unable to save themselves from danger.

Eight fish 'seasick' that was then separated and examined his brain to see the true cause of 'sick' em. "It seems to lose contact with water movement and vibrations plays a major role in determining their oriented." he said

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Tokyo: Telesar V, the latest robot made by Japanese scientists, made with technologies such as genetic robots in movies made by Hollywood, Avatar. In the film portrayed the United States army capable of remotely controlling robots that resemble terrestrial race who wanted they infiltrated.

Telexistence surrogate Antropomorphic long name of the robot is a robot that allows humans to control robot action, as well as see, hear and feel the same way that experienced by the robot.

This robot is operated by the control of humans. To operate, one must use special equipment consisting of the head gear, gloves, and vests are good for controlling the robot action.

Gloves made of thin polyester material coated with a semiconductor and a small motor so that the user can feel what the robot is touched, recognize the variety of sensations such as the surface is soft, wavy, and hot or cold.

For vision, the robot would capture the situation around with a camera placed in the eye. Camera image will then appear in three-dimensional format on video screens in front of the controller.

Sho Kamuro, researchers are trying to operate the robot reveals his experiences. "When I put on equipment operation and move your body, I see my hands turned into a robot hand," says Sho.

Professor Susumu Tachi, a virtual reality of Keio University, said these robots were developed to assist human tasks. One was to go into places too dangerous if the visited by humans.

One scenario is to use this robot to enter the Fukushima Daiichi, the nuclear power plant damaged by the earthquake and tsunami last year. "It's important for us to make robots capable of working in radioactive areas, and it is our goal," stressed Susumu

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Along with the development of Facebook, there are some elements that make his account with the name of the artist. Impact, many users are tricked the existence of the fake Facebook.

As reported in mashable.com, the case, Facebook seeks to prevent the fraudulent account. They launched a new feature, namely the Verified Account, Thursday (16/2).

This feature is intended for artists to justify the validity of their accounts. The plan, Facebook will invite a number of artists to submit their personal data, such as ID and Credit Card. After that, it will match the social networking identity card with the user's data is on Facebook.

Not only for the artist, this feature will also be devoted to other users with the requirements of the user account must have a lot of "subscriber". In Twitter, "subscriber" is called "follower".

But unfortunately, although there has been "verified account", Facebook does not give an indication of the validity of the accounts in the name of the user. It is considered difficult for other users to identify whether the account of the artist is really hers or not. In fact, when accounts of the artists are "legitimate", allowing them to keep up menggonta changed its original name with a pseudonym.

This is very different from other social networks, like Twitter. Twitter accounts that have been recognized artist truth, will be given a blue check mark beside the name of the user. Twitter has launched its first feature since 2009.

+ Meanwhile, Google has also implemented this way not long after the social networking was outstanding. If your Google + person is "illegal", there will be the words "verified name" right beside the user name

Dr. Carden Wallace of the Museum of Tropical Queensland found over 50 species of Acropora hard coral on one reef.

Not only it is possible to dive with turtle on every dive at derawan, turtles are also found coming on land every night to procreate; hatchlings are often encountered just below the cottages and restaurant.

My Favourite site, however just on the door step-beneath the pylons of 200 m long jetty.

Here I have found some of the most mind-boggling and bizarre critters i have seen in years; luminous multi coloured dumpling squids, pairs of 3 ft (1 meters) crocodile fishes, finger-sized purple sea horses and unidentified species of worms, tunicates and dwarf scorpiofish.

The quality of diving around Derawan is indeed what divers dream about I have been back four times and i will be back again, again and again.